Course Completed!

I completed the 2 doses of vaccination on Saturday after 92 days of 1st dose. 

My parent completed the course of vaccination (with Covishield/AstraZeneca) before I took the 1st dose, and the time period for them then was 45 days. But when I took it, the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) extended the time between the 1st and 2nd doses of the vaccine to 90 days. I think this extension was to make the vaccine available for many, for at least one dose, to keep away from the seriousness of covid.  

For my 1st dose, I visited the nearest vaccination center, and that time it was a total lockdown so accessing the wheelchair wasn't difficult through the empty main roads. Now, the city bumped back to its array of traffic, and steering the wheelchair wouldn't be smooth, but I was in intend of visiting the center if there aren't any options.  

During my 1st dose, I saw the doctors and nurses at the vaccination center getting ready for home vaccination for elders and differently able as soon vaccinated me, as I was the last one to take a vaccine that day. And that was the day home vaccination was launched by the state government to facilitate those who couldn't access the center. So this time, I utilized the facility, and even before we enquired and two days to my 2nd vaccine, guys in two-wheeler came announcing in a megaphone that they would come home-to-home as a special vaccine camp (on Thursday 26 Aug) and the one who doesn't take can take. 

I waited, with a sigh of relief, and I waited the whole day, but there wasn't a sign of vaccination. 

The next day dad went to enquire about the home vaccination drive, and at the center, told there wasn't a home-to-home vaccination camp, and for me, they agree to come home if we arrange transportation. So upon this, dad took my cousin in our car and picked up the nurse from the center, and after vaccinated me (with Covishield/AstraZeneca), dropped her back. The nurse brought one dose for me after being vaccinated for 9 others as one vial of vaccine is injected to 10 people, and once open, it needs to be fully used within four hours. 

Same as the 1st dose, the vaccination went smooth, and I didn't experience any unusual health beyond 48 hours now except for a sore arm. My cardiologist advised drinking plenty of water for 1st dose prescribed blood thinner for a week for the 2nd dose, perhaps because the doctor might want to be cautious. Our state has gone to nill restrictions now, and more liberty with social activities, there's a great chance for a surge in cases and vaccination being the only solution, I'm glad to complete the course to feel secure. But, still being cautious is more than enough. 

Crow Nest and Crow Chicks

A couple of crows have built a nest in the Rain Tree right outside of the balcony. 2 months back, I saw a crow nest on the Indian Tulip Tree next to the Rain Tree, and the nest was rest on the treetop so I could only see that too not clear for the eyes or cam lens. But I'm not sure it was the same nest rebuilt here because once the crow started building the nest, the other one disappeared, which I didn't notice after the new one. 

 

The nest was there for nearly a month now, but only last week I saw chicks peeking top of the nest with a wide-open beak. The nest looks like a basket with a bowl-like pit and is surrounded by leaves to see when the crow laid eggs and hatched chicks. My cousin said she saw two eggs, and both seem to be hatched, but I see only one wide-open beak at a time, so I couldn't be sure it was the same.  

 

The crows are always there, either sitting on the nest to brood or maintain a watchful distance. The parenting crows are friendly with us, unlike early, hitting the head when coming out into the balcony when nested. Perhaps, because these crows see us daily or old residents of the neighborhood, despite picking up titbits from the leftover dog food on the balcony, one crow used to venture into the living room to seek food for its chicks.  

 

Another day I was eating something, and the crow came perched on the stool nearby in a gesture of asking for food, and the compassion in me couldn't stop dropping down pieces of food to the floor next to the wheelchair was picked up by the crow. We have a couple of dogs, and they always sleep on the balcony but never did they scared crows unless irritated, and for us, they are annoying sometimes when pooped on the clothes that are left for dry on the balcony rail. But for this reason, alone, we couldn't stop leaving food for crows.  

My mom captured the nest (pic above) from the balcony above us showed the chick's partial underparts. But seeing her shooting nest, the crows flew in and covered the chicks, and thus she couldn't capture a clear picture of the nest. I think the chicks would get the wing to fly in a few weeks, but so far, its wide-open red beak alone is visible for me.  

RGB Monday

 A colorful school frontage...

on Periyakulam-Theni highway. The cropped image was a little shaky as it shot from a moving car. 

The Nest

I wake up and sleep to see

An intricate work of nature

An exhibition of stick science

Inherited by birds by nature.

I marvel at the engineering of birds

Building their nest at such intricate

To rightly balance wind and height

And to endure storms and rain.

Each bird kind builds unique nests;

Like ravens built with sticks,

That just outreach from my balcony

The only closer encounter with a nest.

The eggs hatched into chicks

The ravens kept watching their nest

Day or night, they work together

To ensure that nowhere it unravels.

Every glance at the nest is a marvel;

Indefinable feel embrace

At the interlace of the sticks

How indifferently they couldn't build. 

RGB Monday

Colorful street shots from the temple town Thirukazhukundram.

Either the shoes or bags are sold, I'm sure masks will do good business for them. Do you see the colorful masks hang out on stick before all? 

Florists selling colorful flowers under the umbrella. The images clicked from my last outing in February. 

Oussudu Lake between Pondicherry-Tamil Nadu

Oussudu Lake is about 8-9 km from the center of Puducherry city towards the west. I visited the Oussudu lake in February when driving to Puducherry after visiting the Veedur Dam near Villupuram. I should have checked out the Lake in 2015 when I attended a friend's marriage in Puducherry, but I lost track of the route at a junction and went on with the plan of visiting the National Fossil Wood Park in Thiruvakkarai.

We had a different experience with Oussudu Lake (also called Ousteri Lake) that has nothing to do with the lake. As we left home early in the morning, we only took our breakfast with the plan of having lunch at Puducherry had been delayed by the road conditions and diversions. Moreover, being Sunday and almost 2 pm, most of the restaurants on the way were either closed or had no food; we who intended to have Biriyani decided to go into the city, but our best, we found a delicious biriyani just a few km from the lake.

It was 3.30 when we end our lunch from the tree shades opposite Oussudu Lake. Being new to the place, we had to check many hotels along the way quite annoyed and came to a mindset of having whatever's available to eat. And only then my cousin called his friend, and he directed us to the restaurants' area.

My google maps showed a restaurant named Irfan, and what could I think further other than going directly over there when there is a restaurant in the name of the popular food Youtuber/vlogger Irfan. The biriyani, as well as the other non-veg items we bought, were delicious. And its taste was a testament to the fame of the name Irfan.

Oussudu Lake has a boathouse with a boating facility by the Puducherry tourism, and they maintain a small park along the lake bank. February was a time Covid cases were fewer in numbers, but being Sunday, there was a mild crowd around the jetty; and some were resting and taking naps at the benches under the tree shadows is no surprise as it was a breezy afternoon.

The lake covers an area of about 800 hectares, and it was equally divided by the states of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Oussudu is the largest lake in Puducherry and a migratory park for birds, and during winters, the overseas birds visit the lake and build nests on trees.

Due to the generous northeast monsoon, the lake was up to its brim and waveringly. People have happily drowned their legs in the water while sitting on the stairs, a bunch onboard returning from a ride on the lake. I couldn't spend much time at the lake despite the afternoon breeze and shadows were inviting; I left to explore a beach before head back home. 

RGB Monday

Colorful Xylophone 

I bought this on amazon to seek my little nephew's attention by making different sounds by hitting the bars on the wooden xylophone, but to my surprise, I started enjoying the instrument. The kid doesn't show interest or attention to the sound or the colors of the bars. Perhaps, he needs to grow more to snatch it from me, and until then, I can enjoy myself. 

I have started to practice playing songs in it by taking notes from the internet, and perhaps I could record a tune to play here sometime later. I'm now practicing rhymes and simple Tamil songs, and it really excites me when I get the real sound of the verses.

Happy 3rd month

My nephew Jeswanth, born on 3rd May, complete his 3rd month. The charming little kid is making life happier! You perhaps know how significant he was to me to give me the tenderest feeling of love and precious moments of life.

The little boy identifies me and smiles as I talk to him, and he also tries to speak with me that sound only ooo and haa, and those are moments I would cherish forever. It was his cuteness that spellbound me as I take in his glimpses of smiles and innocently staring quiet eyes. 

In the expression of a sports person – perhaps a boxer, but who knows, he may become one as he is already kickboxing with his hands and legs. lol 

The boy is available at any time of the day, or whenever we brought him home, there isn't a place for worry. He's such a stressbuster, and I couldn't think what if he moved to his house in 2 months. Though I know he would be visiting us often as ours was his maternal home, I enjoy his presence as much as possible.